What is a rainbow baby? (+ why they are so special)

Many women will agree that one of the toughest things you could endure is the loss of a child. It is not any easier to deal with when you have not yet met your baby outside of your own body. You might have already formed a strong bond with your baby mere weeks into discovering you are pregnant. That is why going on to have your rainbow baby after loss can be extremely emotional.

What does it mean if you are a rainbow baby?

A rainbow baby is a baby born after a stillborn, miscarriage or early death of an infant. Think of a miscarriage as a turbulent, stormy time and you will understand why the born immediately after this time is referred to as a rainbow baby. It is the joy after the storm. 

Unfortunately, some couples experience this kind of loss more than once.

Other phrases linked to rainbow babies

What is a double rainbow baby?

This is the term used for a baby born after its parents have experienced two losses. 

What is the difference between a rainbow baby and a sunshine baby?

While a rainbow baby is one born right after a loss, a sunshine baby is a baby born right before an infant loss of any kind. A sunshine baby is referred to as such because they are like the joy or calm before the storm.

READ: Pregnancy After Infertility: My Journey To Motherhood

What is a golden baby?

A golden baby is a baby born after a rainbow baby. It is, therefore, the second child you have after the loss of a baby.

Why are Rainbow Babies so special to some parents?

As expressed by Lake, a rainbow baby ‘lifts a family in desperate need of lifting’. The kind of grieving that parents go through after the loss of a baby is a different and special kind. It is not unusual for them to go through bouts of depression and anxiety for even years after the loss has occurred. 

The impact of the loss can be so great that the arrival of a rainbow is therefore extra special. It can feel even more momentous than a birth would have felt if there was no loss previously.

While the loss of a baby can have a profound psychological impact on the parents, it is still a taboo subject. This is probably more because others do not know how to react to it. It is becoming easier on social media platforms, for example, for rainbow parents to open up about it. However, in everyday life, people do still find it relatively difficult to discuss. 

This leads to the rainbow parents either internalizing their grief or only discussing it with each other. It creates a very unique situation when they do have their rainbow baby because usually the loss of their previous baby is an experience that only the two of them can really understand.

A rainbow baby can give rise to a myriad of emotions for parents.

Is it normal to have anxiety during pregnancy with a rainbow baby?

Certainly, it is almost inevitable that parents feel anxiety with a rainbow pregnancy and baby. After losing a baby, your mind is likely to continuously wander to all the different things that could go wrong now. According to research, parents experience high levels of anxiety both before and after a successful pregnancy with a rainbow baby.

Do you feel guilt when you welcome a rainbow baby?

Along with feeling anxious, parents who welcome a rainbow baby can also feel guilty because they are not only still experiencing grief from the previous loss. They are also experiencing a great amount of joy because they are having another baby. Rainbow parents can feel guilty for experiencing any joy.

Either you or someone you know has experienced baby loss in the past. To get ideas on how to safely get involved with raising awareness, visit babyloss-awareness.org.